Sunday September 28, 2025
Eric Adams dropped out of the race for NYC mayor citing funding as things heat up in the weeks leading up to election day. It comes own to Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo (the latter my choice to get anything done).
New York City politics has long been defined by its unpredictability. With more than eight million residents, the city is a mosaic of neighborhoods, languages, and interests, each tugging at the political landscape in different ways. What resonates in Queens may not move voters in Staten Island; what rallies Brooklyn might barely register in the Bronx.
Candidates who appear to have momentum can suddenly falter, while long-shot challengers sometimes find themselves in the spotlight. Shifts in demographics, union endorsements, grassroots activism, and even local scandals can upend races overnight.
National politics especially today adds another layer of uncertainty - often colliding with intensely local concerns like housing, public safety, and transit.
New Yorkers are famously outspoken and engaged, which means the electorate does not always respond predictably to polls or conventional wisdom. In one election cycle, voters might embrace a progressive wave; in another, they may swing toward candidates who campaign on law and order.
In a city where power is constantly being contested - from City Hall to community boards - politics is less a straight line than a constant push and pull. That dynamism makes New York City politics one of the most fascinating, and least predictable, arenas in the country.
As a New York City resident I was happy when Andrew Cuomo decided to stay in the race after losing in the primaries - and surprised that Trump backs him.
In New York City politics, the old saying, "It's not over til it's over" couldn't be more true. Campaigns here rarely move in a straight line - momentum shifts, coalitions fracture, and surprises emerge when least expected.
A candidate who seems finished in the spring can find new life by the fall, while a frontrunner can stumble days before Election Day.
Endorsements, debates, neighborhood issues, and even a single news cycle can tilt the balance. The city's diverse electorate - spanning boroughs with distinct priorities - ensures that no candidate can take victory for granted. Polling often struggles to capture this complexity, leaving room for sudden upsets and unexpected surges.
Ultimately, in New York City, political outcomes are shaped not only by strategy and money, but by energy on the ground - turnout in one community, enthusiasm in another, and last-minute shifts in voter sentiment. That is why, until the very last ballot is cast, no one can truly say how the story will end.
Good luck, Andrew Cuomo. The city needs not only a strong experienced leader, but one who knows how the games are played.